Voice of the people: Austin Vollor

January 1, 1900

Allgood, a 'true believer'

I have known Forrest Allgood since first moving to Starkville in 1997. I consider him a dear friend.

A large portion of my law practice involves representing defendants accused of crimes. I have been involved in over 300 cases with/against Forrest Allgood's office over the past 19 years. Often we disagree vehemently on our interpretations of the facts and issues of a particular case. But, one thing I have always appreciated about Forrest's office is knowing where we stood on matters. Social status, income, race or political affiliation was removed from our discussions of a person's case. He has always been honest in our dealings. In short, even billions won't buy Forrest Allgood.

Forrest has earned my respect as a skilled prosecutor, the best I have known. I often hear colleagues refer to Forrest as a "true believer."

Whether this is intended as pejorative or not, it gives me pause to wonder if one would ever want a "non-believer" as an advocate. We should never lower the bar of expectations of ourselves and others in order to obtain a desired result. This approach is naive, short-sighted and poisonous to the future of our community. My wife and I chose Starkville and Oktibbeha County to raise a family.

We love this community and the people in it.

A major part of our decision was the protection provided by those sworn to uphold the law. We are blessed with a very honest and capable law enforcement community. Law and order matters. Forrest understands this.

The choice for me for district attorney is simple: There is no one in our state better than Forrest Allgood that I could chose to fight for my family in the event they were the victim of a crime.

Vote with me on Nov. 3 to keep honest and capable advocacy for victims' rights in our community. Vote Allgood.